Open AccessEvidence for the presence of thermophilic Fe(III)‐reducing microorganisms in deep‐sea hydrothermal vents at 13°N (East Pacific Rise)
Author(s) -
Slobodkin Alexander,
Campbell Barbara,
Cary S.Craig,
BonchOsmolovskaya Elizaveta,
Jeanthon Christian
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2001.tb00844.x
Subject(s) - hydrothermal vent , thermophile , biology , thermococcus , archaea , proteobacteria , temperature gradient gel electrophoresis , hyperthermophile , bacteria , microorganism , euryarchaeota , 16s ribosomal rna , hydrothermal circulation , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , paleontology
Microorganisms capable of dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction in the temperature range of 52–90°C were enriched from outer and inner parts of chimney‐like structures, tubes of the polychaetous annelid Alvinella sp., and hydrothermal fluids collected at 13°N hydrothermal vent sites on the East Pacific Rise at a depth of 2650 m. Numbers of culturable Fe(III)‐reducing thermophiles estimated by the serial dilution technique varied from 10 to 10 7 cells per cm 3 of sample. Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial and archaeal PCR‐amplified 16S rDNA genes obtained from Fe(III)‐reducing enrichments and separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed sequences related to Deferibacter , Thermotogales ( Bacteria ) and Thermococcus ( Archaea ) for which the capacity for Fe(III) reduction had been reported. This was confirmed by isolating a hyperthermophilic iron reducer that belongs to the genus Thermococcus . Other bacterial thermophiles found in the enrichments were related to so far uncultured members of the Clostridiaceae , and ϵ‐subdivision of the Proteobacteria .